Court OKs expedited schedule for U.S. appeal of AT&T Time Warner tie-up

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Thursday approved the U.S. Justice Department's request for an expedited schedule for an appeal of a judge's ruling that allowed AT&T Inc to buy movie and TV show maker Time Warner.

The department said last Thursday that it would appeal a federal judge's approval of the $85.4 billion acquisition.

The court approved the Justice Department request that legal briefs must be completed by Oct. 18, with oral arguments "as soon as practicable." That would be a significantly faster-than-normal timetable for an appeals court to hear a case.

(Reporting by David Shepardson)